Community
6 June, 2024
AirAsia Indonesia to fly to Cairns for first time
AIRASIA Indonesia is flying to Cairns for the first time, operating three weekly flights between Bali (Denpasar) from August 14.
The flights between Cairns and Bali also connect to the extensive AirAsia Group network, involving seven airlines under the AirAsia brand, flying to over 130 destinations in southeast Asia and beyond.
Special launch fares have gone on sale starting from just $159 from Cairns to Bali via the AirAsia website or AirAsia Move app. (Other airfares at the end of the story).
The service will provide more than 28,000 seats to Cairns in the first year. It will compete against Jetstar which also flies between Cairns and Bali.
AirAsia Indonesia chief executive officer Veranita Yosephine said the airline was thrilled to be flying to Far North Queensland for the first time.
“Cairns offers our guests from Bali and across Asia breathtaking scenery, including the world famous Great Barrier Reef, ancient rainforests, unique culture, delicious seafood and more,” she said.
“Starting with three weekly services, we hope to grow the number of flights in the future, based on demand.
“Indonesia alone has so many emerging gems for Queenslanders to experience including the world famous Labuan Bajo (Komodo Island) - home of the Komodo Dragon, Tanjung Setia Surf-Beach in Lampung and the New Capital of Indonesia, Nusantara, in East Kalimantan.
“This new route is also an important low cost entranceway to more leisure and adventure across Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, India, China, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea and other popular destinations across our group network.
Indonesian Consul General in Sydney, Vedi Kurnia Buana, also provided strong support for the new services.
"We welcome AirAsia Indonesia’s efforts to support the acceleration of the tourism industry's growth by expanding connectivity through direct flights connecting Bali with Cairns, two popular tourist destinations,” he said.
“This route is expected to enhance cooperation between Indonesia and Australia, particularly to North Queensland, with Bali serving as the preferred gateway for millions
of tourists entering Indonesia from southeast Asia and beyond each year.
Cairns Airport chief executive officer Richard Barker said the new service would open up a raft of connections across Asia.
“AirAsia has never flown to Cairns before and we look forward to welcoming these services in August,” he said.
“This announcement is great news for locals, with more flights to Bali. Importantly, this
service will also open up one-stop, low fare travel to Tropical North Queensland from some of the largest nations in southeast Asia, on an airline that is well known in those markets.
“These flights will provide direct connectivity from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and domestic Indonesia, including Jakarta and Surabaya, via Denpasar to Cairns.”
Tourism Minister Michael Healy said it was “terrific to see the AirAsia stable
expanding to Cairns.”
“The Far North remains a hot ticket for visitors who want to see just how much Queensland has to offer, and now the arrival of Indonesia AirAsia to Cairns will bring even more travellers from around the world to this incredibly beautiful region,” he said.
“This agreement with Asia’s first low-cost, low-fare carrier is another significant milestone for our successful Attracting Aviation Investment Fund and shows that Queensland’s reputation as Australia’s tourism destination of choice is strong.”
Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive officer Mark Olsen welcomed the route which will help connect Australians to emerging tourism hubs within Southeast Asia.
“Arriving via Denpasar to Cairns will also be attractive for our traditional long-haul markets in Europe and the United Kingdom as well as short-medium haul travellers from Asia and beyond,” he said.
“Tropical North Queensland is a popular destination for the youth and group series markets coming from the UK and Europe and this connection will add further appeal.”
The launching fare sale starts today until June 16, 2024 for travel period from August 14 to
October 26, 2024 and includes the following routes and prices:
- Cairns to Bali from $159 (all in fare)
- Bali to Cairns from IDR1,175,000 (all in fare)
- Cairns to Kuala Lumpur (via Bali) from $282
- Cairns to Jakarta (via Bali) from $269
- Cairns to Labuan Bajo (Komodo Island) from $251
- Cairns to Singapore (via Bali) from $251
- Cairns to Bangkok (via Bali) from $341.
